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Edema is swelling caused by fluid trapped in body tissues. It can occur in anyone, but it’s more common in older adults. A variety of factors contribute to mild edema, including weakened valves in veins, gravity, inactivity, arthritis, and certain medications.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) identifies and challenges thoughts about sleep that make it more difficult, eradicates bedroom activities other than sleep and sex, limits the time spent in bed to increase the drive to sleep, and teaches relaxation techniques.
Insulin resistance is when the pancreas makes insulin but the body’s cells don’t use it efficiently. It becomes more common in women after age 50 due to hormonal shifts that change the way the body stores fat. It is a key step in the process of developing prediabetes and diabetes.
Elevated levels of aldosterone (a hormone that regulates water, sodium, and potassium in the body) is an underrecognized and undertreated contributor to high blood pressure.
Two medications now in development, enlicitide and obicetrapib, can lower harmful LDL cholesterol and may be promising options for people who cannot tolerate statins or who still have high LDL despite their current treatment.
For people who are concerned they’re drinking too much but don’t want to give up alcohol entirely, the Sinclair Method may help. It involves taking naltrexone (a drug that dampens alcohol’s euphoric effects) an hour or two before drinking.
A 2025 study finds that among people with high blood pressure, waking up from sleep to urinate is closely linked to elevated blood pressure during sleep.
People with prediabetes who successfully lower their blood sugar back to normal levels may cut their future risk of death due to heart disease by half, according to a 2025 study.
A 2025 review of past research found that electromagnetic field exposure from electric cars poses no immediate health risks for people with implanted heart devices, such as pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.
Electrical cardioversion is generally a safe, painless procedure used to convert a rapid or irregular heartbeat (such as atrial fibrillation) back to a normal rhythm. It’s done under sedation and takes only a few minutes.